1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) home network system, and more particularly, to a method for rapidly and accurately transmitting to a user a content list within a specific folder contained in a digital media server in a DLNA home network system.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of communication technologies, a method is used for establishing a network between electronic devices and integrating/managing the electronic devices using a controller for controlling the network. A system for integrating and managing electronic devices by establishing a network is called a home network system. The home network system connects various network electronic devices (e.g., TVs, washing machines, microwave ovens, gas stoves, audio systems, air conditioners, and boilers), lights, gas valves, front door, etc. to a controller such as a home gateway or a home server and controls those devices through a specific terminal (e.g., a remote controller).
Recently, the home network system has been standardized and, particularly, a DLNA for controlling electronic devices (e.g., TVs, Video Tape Recorders (VTRs), digital cameras, and audio systems) within a house has been proposed.
In a DLNA home network system, which is in commercial use, a content sharing method has a constant, individual flow, for example as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a content sharing process in a conventional DLNA network system. The DLNA system includes a media player 11, a media server 13, and a device 15.
Referring to FIG. 1, the media player 11 receives a search command for a specific content from a user in step 101. The media player 11 transmits, in step 103, a request message for searching the specific content to the media server 13 in which the specific content is stored. The search request for the user content may be made only to one media server or may be simultaneously made to a plurality of media servers.
In step 105, the media server 13 configures a content item list result set for contents of all stored media formats by using a content directory service based on information about the specific content included in the received request message and transmits the result set to the media player 11. In step 107, the media player 11 displays the content item list result set received from the media server 13 through a user interface.
If one or more content lists among the content item lists displayed through the user interface are selected by a user in step 109, the media player 11 transmits a content information message including the selected content lists to the device 15 which can reproduce the corresponding content in step 111. The device 15 analyzes and stores the content lists included in the content information message received from the media player 11 in step 113.
In step 115, if there is a reproduction command for any content among the content lists selected by the user, the media player 111 reproduces the corresponding content. If there is a reproduction stop command by the user, the media player 11 stops reproducing the corresponding content in step 117. The media player 11 transmits, in step 119, a content reproduction stop information message including information about the stopped reproduction content to the device 15. The information about the content may include data and a stopped position of the corresponding content.
The device 15 analyzes and stores the content information included in the content reproduction stop information message received from the media player 11 in step 119. In FIG. 1, the media player 11 may be included in the media server 13 or in the device 15 according to the user environment.
The sharing of contents in the DLNA network system is performed by the above procedures. However, a content directory service for acquiring content information is slow in such a system. Namely, since 9 items, such as a name, a transmission Identification (ID), a destination ID, etc., must necessarily be acquired with respect to a corresponding content, it takes a significant amount of time to analyze and store these processes.
FIG. 2 is an diagram illustrating a process for searching and reproducing a specific content in a conventional DLNA network system.
Referring to FIG. 2, since a content directory service from step 201 to step 207 generates a large amount of data structures and requires syntax analysis with respect to each content, much time is correspondingly consumed. Especially, in step 209 in which the final content list is displayed, considerable time is consumed if there are a large amount of contents in the final destination. In step 211, a selected content is reproduced.
In this way, the content directory service requires considerable time. To improve the above problem in the content directory service, a method for reducing the standby time generated to search for the desired content when a large amount of contents are included in a specific folder is needed.